Sales organizations often gather large volumes of data in order to analyze and study the progress and efficiencies of their business. The data that may be gathered can depend on the type of business operation (i.e., retail, wholesale, etc.) as well as upon where the business is operating. In other words, depending upon the operation being evaluated, the type of collected data may differ within an industry or within a specific geographic region. Likewise, the analysis that may be performed with the stored data may also vary by region, division, organization, and industry. Some of the data that may be gathered and subsequently analyzed includes: (a) daily sales data by product, price, and size; (b) inventory levels, again by product, price, and size; and, (c) daily operating costs including prorated salaries, rent, and advertising at each retail facility.
In each of these instances, the intake of data can be cumbersome, not only because of the enormous volume of information but also due to the sporadic fashion in which the data may be sent.